MEDIA ADVISORY

November 24, 2004 --

WHAT: “GOVERNOR’S SUMMIT ON HEALTHY VIRGINIANS” (NOTE: The event is open to the press, but credentials are required. Contact Katherine Jackson at (434) 924-3629

WHO: Government officials, business leaders, health care practitioners from the University of Virginia and other health systems, non-profit agencies, and community members with an interest in promoting healthier lifestyles,

Including:

Virginia Gov. Mark R. Warner

Virginia First Lady Lisa Collis

The Hon. Jane Woods, Virginia secretary of health and human resources

Dr. Arthur “Tim” Garson Jr., vice president and dean of the U.Va. School of Medicine

A nutritious diet and regular exercise are key factors to sustaining a healthy lifestyle, and on Nov. 29 and 30, the Governor’s Summit on HealthyVirginians will convene at the University of Virginia to stress the importance of maintaining a healthful way of life.

The summit, which will be held in U.Va.’s Newcomb Hall ballroom both days, will provide a forum for discussion by government officials, business leaders, health care practitioners, non-profit agencies, community members and other interested constituencies of best practices to promote healthier lifestyles. Through the combination of plenary sessions, group discussions and model project presentations by various health experts, summit participants will learn about the current state of health in the Commonwealth and help develop a plan for a healthier way of life for Virginians. The summit will conclude with an address by Gov. Mark R. Warner on Tuesday.

Selected highlights from the two-day summit include:

Monday, Nov. 29

10:05 a.m. — Overview of the “State of the Health of Virginians” by the Hon. Jane Woods, Virginia secretary of health and human resources

Noon — Lunchtime discussion of the “Paradox of Hunger and Obesity” by Lynn Parker, director of child nutrition programs at the Nutrition Policy Food Research and Action Center in Washington, D.C.

1:15-2:20 p.m. — Concurrent sessions on nutrition, including one focused on children, moderated by Dr. Arthur Garson, Jr., vice president and dean of the U.Va. School of Medicine; one focused on adults in the workplace, with Anne M. Wolf, an instructor with U.Va.’s Division of Health Evaluation Sciences; and one focused on special populations with Dr. Ross B. Isaacs, associate professor of internal medicine at U.Va.

2:40-3:45 p.m. — Concurrent sessions on physical activity and fitness, including one focused on the aging population, featuring Dr. Richard Lindsay, U.Va. professor emeritus of internal and family medicine.

3:50-4:50 p.m. — An examination of two model projects: the DR CHIP program in the Dan River region of Virginia, and the Virginia Coordinated Care Project for the Uninsured, a joint effort of the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System, the City of Richmond and community primary-care physicians to provide low-income patients with access to physician and hospital services, primarily for preventive care.

Tuesday, Nov. 30

9:30 a.m. — “The Next Generation” panel discussion, moderated by Virginia First Lady Lisa Collis and featuring three local experts.

10:40 a.m.-noon — Moderated discussions and development of recommendations, with Dr. Karen Rheuban, professor of pediatrics at U.Va., facilitating the discussion related to children’s health issues.

3:05 p.m. — Address by Gov. Mark R. Warner

The summit is part of Governor Warner's Healthy Virginians initiative, which aims to promote wellness and reduce health care costs by combating obesity, hypertension and other preventable diseases among state employees, public school students, Medicaid recipients, and the public. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the Kaiser Family Foundation, as many as 58 percent of all Virginians are overweight or obese, 23 percent do not exercise on a regular basis, and an estimated 25 percent of Virginians smoke or use other tobacco products.

Governor Warner officially launched Healthy Virginians at the State Capitol in Richmond on Nov. 9, and followed the announcement by leading employees on a one-mile walk to a health fair.

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For information about the summit, or for a more complete agenda and list of participants, visit : www.healthyvirginians.virginia.gov or contact the governor’s press secretary, Ellen Qualls, at (804) 225-3048.

For press credentials, contact Katherine Jackson at (434) 924-3629.
To arrange interviews with participants from the U.Va. Health System, contact Peter Jump at (434) 924-1501.
For general press inquiries, contact Carol Wood at (434) 924-6189.
For press inquiries related to the technical needs of television and radio, contact Sheri Winston at (434) 924-6182.

FOR
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Contact the Office
of University Relations at (434) 924-7116. Television reporters
should contact the TV News Office at (434) 924-7550.